7 Ways to Improve Your Blog in 2010

1. Let Your Passion & Personality Shine Through

I am a firm believer you should only blog about subject matter which you are knowledgeable and madly passionate about.

Your passion is your edge in a cluttered marketplace and is what makes you stand out from a crowd of “same old, same old” merchants.

When producing your blog content, establish a voice and let your personality shine through. People will pick up on it, be drawn to you and will be keen to know your take on the topics that mean the most to them.

2. Add Depth to Your Posts With Images

One of the best decisions I ever made was to illustrate my blog posts with images. Numerous people have told me how much they enjoy my posts and that the photographs I use add depth to what I have written.

Adding photographs doesn’t have to be expensive if you purchase quality stock images from the numerous online depots but my weapon of choice these days is Flickr.

There are millions of high quality, interesting and downright weird photographs on that website taken by professional and amateur photographers alike, many of which you are free to use and adapt for your own purposes.

Want to find some great images? I have found some of the coolest images for my blog posts by doing the following:

1. Go to Flickr
2. Type in a keyword that relates to your post (tip: don’t search for images directly related to blogging; try using metaphors)
3. Be sure to check the creative commons options before searching. This is so you are only searching for images that can be used on your blog.

Always be sure to give credit to the image author somewhere in your post for using their image. You can scroll to the bottom of this article to see how it is done on Blogussion (all images here are found through Flickr).

3. Use Video & Audio Too

Photo by Mark Tomlinson

As well as using photographs, try to use video and audio content on your blog too.

I am not suggesting you ignore written blog posts in favor of multimedia content, far from it, but a video post or audio interview with another expert in your niche can help to keep things fresh.

A great phrase I heard recently is “the money is where the fear is,” so if you are nervous about recording videos or conducting interviews, then push yourself into doing them.

You can be sure at least some of your competitors are NOT so it’s a great opportunity to get in front and if they are, then you don’t want to get left behind, do you?

4. Comment on Other Blogs

Leaving comments on other blogs is a great way to build your authority but you are not going to impress anybody by just writing “Great post” in response to every new blog post which opens up in your RSS reader.

Choose which posts you are going to contribute to carefully and make sure you fully understand what the content before you add your own take on what’s been said.

If you find a particular blog which resonates with you, leaving comments on a consistent basis will help you build a relationship with the blog owner and lead to future JV opportunities, not to mention directing some of their readers to your own blog.

5. Don’t Forget About Your Own Readers

When people leave a comment on your blog then you should do your best to leave a reply. Obviously, there is no point in responding to any “Great Post!” type shenanigans (I usually just delete those!) but if someone has made an effort then they deserve to be acknowledged.

Responding to comments helps conversations to develop and enables your readers to interact with both you and each other and fostering a sense of community helps to build your authority in your chosen niche.

6. Write Guest Posts

Guest posting is a hot, hot topic during the early stages of 2010 and it is an act you need to get in on yourself if your blog is going to grow.

Writing a guest post for other blogs in your niche opens you up to a brand new audience and a precious backlink to your blog will also help your long-term search engine positions.

If you manage to get published on one of the authority blogs in your niche, then in a way you will be seen on a similar level because your post is to some extent an endorsement from the blog owner.

You get perceived authority, instant credibility, free traffic and a better position in the search engines for one article you can write in less than an hour – and you are NOT doing it?

Photo by T.W. Collins

7. Forget About the Money to Begin With

Nobody expects you to blog for free, forever, but you should view your blog and your marketing in general as a long-term commitment to your niche.

There are hundreds of people who try to “ram raid” a niche in the misguided dream that all customers are idiots and will hand over their money because they have put up a half-assed blog and a shoddy product.

If you are just starting out with your own blog this year then you need to build trust through high quality content and work hard to stamp your authority on your niche.

Instead of plastering your blog with Google Adsense and banner adverts, collect your readers email addresses and build a relationship with them through helpful, free content.

The money will soon come and you will be hailed as your niche’s saviour in the process!

How Will You Improve Your Blog?

These are just seven tips you can use to improve your blog and your own authority during the remainder of 2010.

They are all realistic and achievable, you just need to put in some time and effort (but you are already, right?)

If you have any other nuggets of wisdom to share on how to take your blog to the next level this year then please share them in the comments below!